1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to limit switches. More specifically, the invention is a system that can function as a limit switch and simultaneously provide a signal indicative of absolute position along a linear axis.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wide variety of motorized systems, a system operation (e.g., stopping the system's motor) is triggered when a limit switch is tripped. Generally, a limit switch is configured to detect when a system's element has traveled/moved to a certain position. Since the system element is moving, inertia frequently causes the element to move past the limit switch thereby causing a condition known as “system overrun”. When this occurs, the exact position of the element is unknown and techniques must be implemented to locate the element relative to the known limit switch position. Such techniques include use of separate position sensors or search routines. However, the use of separate position sensors adds size, weight and complexity to a system's limit switch function, while search routines cause time delays in system operations.